Arc-light electrode.



W. L. HARRADEN.

' ARC LIGHT ELECTRODE.

APPLI- O A T I 0 N F I L E D M A B 1 4 1 9 1 2- 1 1 1 1,381 Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1.

Fig. l.

4 l i U m Mme m mill; llltmt JMHIH'M? Witnesses:

2; Inventor:

Walter L.Har* aden,- X '7 by Hi mtome W. L. HARRADBN.

ARC LIGHT ELECTRODE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..14, 1912. 1,1 1 1,3 1 Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

miiilii imml 9 9 wltnesses: Inventor:

Walter L. Harraden,

His JTttorney.

UNITED STATESHPATENT OFFICE.

WALTER L. WEN, OF LYNN, MAQSACHUS ETTS, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01? NEW YORK.

ABC-LIGHT ELECTRODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flled lllarch 14, 1912. Serial No. 683,748.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \VALTER L. HARRA- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arc-Light Electrodes, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention has. reference to arc-light electrodes of the kind known as non-consuming positive electrodes. For the production of a luminous arc, a negative lower electrode or cathode formed of some material such as a magnetite mixture, which is capable of supporting a luminous arc has been used in conjunction with an up er positive electrode or anode formed as a air or piece of very slowly consuming material. An arc of this type is long and rather thin and is easily afiected b external influences, such as those exerted y air currents, and when the arc reaches the edge of the anode,

it has a tendency to creep up the side of the same, thereby increasing the length of the are, which thereby frequently breaks In a lamp of this character, the anode is frequently made of a massive metal bar of good heat conducting material, such as copper. This metal, however, is slowly-but continuously oxidized both on the arcing face and on the sides, particularly if the are is run at a rather high temperature, for example, above 600 or 600 degrees C. This oxidation not only causes an unduly rapid consumptionof the electrode, but the oxid, which is non-conducting, accumulates on the arcing end of the anode and as this deposit increases, it becomes so heavy toward the end of the life of the anode that it is-liable to interfere with the proper establishment of the-arc. Furthermore,- when the are runs upon this oxid, beads are formed and the are shifting between these beads and the metal of the electrode causes an unsteadiiness in the light. Moreover, when such a masssive bar is used for the anode, the loss in weightof the same during its life is considerable and this loss in Weight seriously interferes with the regulation of the are when the anode'is'made regulating. Anodes of this general characterare still-s oken of ae lian-consuming-electrodes, butt term merely denotes that the anode consumes very much slower than the cathode.

My invention overcomes the defects hereinbefore pointed out by providing a novel form of electrode in which the are current enters the arc in substantially equal branches which are symmetrically arranged with reference to the axis of the arc and which exert a steadying influence thereon. At the same time, while In novel form of electrode is small and light as compared with anodes that have been common, its diameter is considerably larger, which in itself tends to prevent the are from wandering to its extreme edge and creeping up the side of the same. At the same time, as the electrode is rather small, there can be no very great loss of wei ht during the life of the electrode to inter ere with the regu- Patented Sept. 22, 1914. I

lation, nor will there be an undue accumulation of metallic oxid, and as the electrode is easily renewed, it may be run at a higher temperature than has hitherto been common, thereby improving the operation of the lamp.

For a fuller understanding of my invention, reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of my electrode and of the support therefor; Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. I; Fig. 3 shows a modified su port for the electrode; and Fig. 4 is a si e elevation of another form of my electrode and of the support therefor.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the electrode is supported by wings 1-1, similar to those heretofore used, and which are ordinarily received in slots in the fume box. These wings may be connected to a regulating magnet, as is frequently done. The inner ends of the wings are bent and secured together so as to form a circular opening, but instead of an electrode in the form of a solid bar, the circular openin receives a tubular member 2 which is sli able therein. The

circular portions of the wings are cut awa of the wings are also cut away below to form cam surfaces 5, which are reversely arranged from those at the top so that the two surfaces are substantially equi-distant throughout. The ends of the in 6 which pass through tube'2 engage t e cam surfaces 5. It is thus apparent that by rotating the 5 tube 2, the ends of the pin 6 and the screws 4 will follow the cam surfaces 5 and 3 respectively and a bodily longitudinal movement is thereby given to the tube. Depending U shaped brackets 7 are-suitably secured to'thclwings 1--1, and are provided near the bottom with notches 8. Theelectrode member 9 is cup-shaped, as'shown in.

Fig. 3, the cylindrical" portion 10 being closed at the bottom by a-disk 9, while from the upper end of the cylinder extends outwardly a flange 11, which is received in the notches 8 of the U shaped brackets'7. In the form shown in Fig. 1, there is a pin 12 secured in the tube 2 and bent downwardly which forms a convenient means'for rotating the tube when it is desired to place an electrode in position. For this purpose, the tube 2 is first raised by giving it a rotary movement, as above described and the'electrode is then placed in position with its flange in the notches 8, the opening in the top of the electrode formed by the c lindrical walls 10 registering with the tube 2. The tube is then rotated back to its original position and is received in the opening at the top of the electrode, thereby preventing lateral displacement of the same.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the

tube 2 is provided with a single pm 6, the' ends of which'are received in and project through vertical slots 12 in the circular portions of the wings; by raising and lowering this in within the slots the tube 2 may be lifted free from the electrode and again 40 brought in contact with the bottom thereof.

In the modification shown in Fi' 4, the

disk shaped portion 9? of the eectrode, which may if desired, be made comparatively massive by the conical portion 9 to lengthen its life, is secured to an upper plate 13 by ribs 14. The plate 13 is provided with a screw threaded openin within which is received the screw threaded end of a sup port 15 which, in turn, is secured to the wing 16. A locking member 17, shaped somewhat in the form of a shepherds crook, has its staff passing through and is guided by a pair of clips 18 secured to the win 16. The bottom of the crook 17 is bent ack upon itself at 17 and the extreme end 19 is bent at right angles to the plane defined by the staff and the bent portion, and when lifted may be turned and received in an opening 20 in the radiating wing. Whenin the lower position, shown in full lines in Fig. 4, the lower end is located between two of the ribs 14 and prevents the electrode from being accidentally turned loose from its support and thereby dropping and breaking the-globe. It will be seen that this electhe same intensity. In the structure shown trode is secured in position by first lifting the crook 17 into the dotted line position,

enters the disk shaped portion of the electrode upon which the arc runs, from the tubular member2, from which it passes radially toward the central portion upon which the arc is intended to run. The current thus enters the disk shaped portion of the elecg0 trode from the outer edge and flows to the center, in what may be regarded as a large number of branches symmetrical with respect to the center and having substantially asin Fig. 4, which is the preferred form, the current enters the disk sha ed portion of the electrode by the ribs 14, rom which the current flows to the center of the electrode in symmetrical branches, in all of which 0 the current is substantially the same. I have discovered that when the current is thus led to the arc in branches symmetrical with respect to the are and in all of which branches. the current is substantially the same, the entering current exerts a steadying influence upon the arc. It will be seen that when the arc wanders from the center of the electrode, the resistance in that side of the electrode toward which the arc has wandered is decreased, and more current will then flow to the are from that side, and the excessive current on the one side tends to repel the arc to that sidefron which the smaller amount of'current enters, and the result of all'this is that the entering current automatically tends to keep the arc in the center of the electrode.

At the same time, contact between the electrode and the supporting wings is established, either by means of the tubular member '2 and the U shaped brackets in Figs. 1 and 3, or by means of the ribs 14, as in Fig. 4. The contact between the lower edge of the cylinder 2 with the disk memberof the electrode, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is over a large surface but not very intimate. 'This contact, while 'suflicient to carrythe requisite current,'is not suflicie'nt,

to act as an efiicient heat conveyer; the elecme I trode proper is therefore kept at 9. compare.- tivelyhigh temperature In the construction shown in F1 4, the conduction of heat from the electr e is through the comparatively small stem or sup ort 15, so that in this case also the electr e is maintained at a high temperature. The electrode is therefore run at a higher temperature than has heretofore been common, which results in an improved operation of the lamp, as is well understood in the art. Furthermore the electrode being small and inexpensive may be renewed at each trim of the lamp, and in ways presented to the arc with a consequent improvement in the operation of the lamp, and as the electrode is comparatively small and light the loss in weight of the same during the trim does not seriously interfere with the regulation of the are by the-up and down movements of this electrode.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure bv Letters Patent of the United States, is 1. The method of steadying an are which consists in causing the current to enter the arc at right angles thereto and in substanq tially equal branches symmetrical with re- 'spect to the same.

" 2. In combination, an electrode comprisorms an arcing surface,

' means for supporting the electrode, and

i for conducting the are current to the edge e of the disk shaped portion of the electro .at points removed from and substantially symmetrical withrespect to the center of the disk 'sha ed portion.

3. In com ination, an electrode comprising a substantially disk shaped imperforate member provided with an arcing surface a'nd-a portion projecting from the periphery of the disk WhlCh is adapted to support the electrode and to convey current to the same.

4. In combination, an electrode comprising a substantially disk shaped portion provided with an arcing surface, and a portion projecting from'the periphery of the disk, means comprising said projecting portion for supporting said electrode, and means cooperating with said projecting portion for locking the same in position.

5. An electrode comprisin a substantially disk-shaped portion having an arcing surface, and means for conveying cnrrent to the edge of the disk b a definite number of paths symmetrically disposed about the disk.

6. An electrode comprising a substantially disk-shaped portion having an arcing surface, a supportin boss, and a series of ribs joined at one an to the supporting boss and at the other end to the periphery of the disk-shaped portion and symmetrically arranged about the same.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of'March 1912.

WALTER L. HARBADEN.

Witnesses: o v, I

7 JOHN A. MCMANUS, J12,

FRANK GrHATTIE. 

